Machinery exports sustain strong growth amid upgrading

China's machinery industry is confident of maintaining steady foreign trade growth in 2026 despite growing uncertainties stemming from geopolitical tensions, tariff disputes and a challenging global trade environment, executives from the China Machinery Industry Federation (CMIF) said on Thursday.

The sector recorded $692.76 billion in foreign trade in the first half, up 15.9 percent year-on-year, with exports rising 20 percent to $559.33 billion and imports increasing 1.4 percent to $133.44 billion, according to the Beijing-based industry organization.

Speaking at a news conference in Beijing, Ye Dingda, the CMIF's vice-president, said favorable factors are expected to outweigh challenges.

"The machinery industry is likely to maintain stable growth this year as China advances industrial modernization, expands domestic demand and promotes transformation," said Ye.

Chen Bin, CMIF's deputy director of the expert committee, said that after years of technological upgrades and industrial restructuring, Chinese machinery and automotive manufacturers have built stronger global competitiveness, leveraging technological capabilities, cost competitiveness and large-scale manufacturing capacity.

He said these advantages will continue to support export performance, which is expected to remain steady in the second half.

The industry's global market presence has become more diversified and balanced between January and June. China's machinery exports to partner countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations markets rose 22 percent, 33.1 percent and 19.5 percent year-on-year, respectively.

Among key trading partners, the country's exports to the United States declined 0.4 percent on a yearly basis in the first half. Meanwhile, exports to some Middle Eastern markets, including the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Iran, fell sharply due to the impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Chen said China's "next new three" products — artificial intelligence-related products, robotics and innovative medicines — are driving a new phase of export upgrading, while the country's continued industrial transformation is sustaining strong demand for high-end imported machine tools.

Shenyang Yuanda Intellectual Industry Group Co, an elevator manufacturer based in Shenyang, Liaoning province, shipped 250 million yuan ($37 million) worth of elevators and spare parts abroad during the January-June period, marking 100 percent year-on-year growth, data from Shenyang Customs showed.

To enhance its global competitiveness, the Chinese company's ultra-high-speed elevators can now reach speeds of 10 meters per second and have been deployed in landmark projects in both domestic and overseas markets.

"Our latest IoT (the internet of things)-based monitoring technology and AI-powered predictive maintenance system will soon enter the market. The system uses multi-sensor data and AI algorithms to assess equipment conditions and the remaining service life of key components, shifting from reactive repairs to proactive alerts," said Ding Jianxin, the company's director of product technology systems.

After Beijing Customs granted Sino-South Korean joint venture Beijing Hyundai an Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) status, the customs authority introduced a package of facilitation measures, enabling the automaker to streamline operations and better leverage policy support.

Advocated by the World Customs Organization, the AEO program aims to enhance supply chain security and promote closer cooperation between customs authorities and businesses worldwide.

From January to June, Beijing Hyundai exported 16,737 vehicles under the processing trade program, with a total value of $267 million, up 70 percent year-on-year. The vehicles were mainly shipped to markets including South Korea, Latin America and Central Asian countries.

zhongnan@chinadaily.com.cn